Pole kiln and method for drying logs

ABSTRACT

A kiln of the type used for drying green poles includes a shed covering a carrier of such poles with end closures and means within the shed for introducing and circulating heat that is directed lengthwise of the carrier and into lengthwise contact with the poles to effect drying thereof.

United States Patent [191 Foster Feb. 25, 1975 POLE KILN AND METHOD FORDRYING LOGS [75] Inventor: Anthony Foster, Paradise, Calif. [73]Assignee: Koppers Company, Inc., Pittsburgh,

22 Filed: Apr. 8, 1974 [2]] Appl. No.1 459,011

[52] U.S. Cl. 34/13.8, 34/l6.5 [51] Int. Cl. F26b 7/00 [58] Field ofSearch 34/9.5, 13.8, 16.5, 216

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Muydermannu, 34/216 X3,159,468 12/1964 Hofmeister, Jr. et a]. 34/216 X 3,422,545 1/1969Wilson ..'34/l6.5 3,434,222

3/1969 Malmquist 34/16.5

Primary ExaminerJohn J. Camby Attorney, Agent, or Firm--Sherman H.Barber; Olin E. Williams; Oscar B. Brumback [5 7] ABSTRACT A kiln of thetype used for drying green poles includes a shed covering a carrier ofsuch poles with end closures and means within the shed for introducingand circulating heat that is directed lengthwise of the carrier and intolengthwise contact with the poles to effect drying thereof.

16 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures POLE KILN AND METHOD FOR DRYING LOGSBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to kilns andmore particularly to a kiln and method for drying freshly peeled poles.

At the kiln facility, the poles are unloaded from carrier trucks orrailroad cars and are loaded onto special tram cars that are then movedinto the kiln. After the poles are dried in the kiln, the tram cars arepushed out ofv the kiln, and the poles are loaded again onto carriertrucks or-railroad cars. Thereafter, the dried poles are shipped to alocation at which they are unloaded again for either storage or furthertreatment.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A pole kiln and the method for operatingthe same includes a shed having end closures that covers a railroadtrack onto which carrier railroad cars loaded with green polesarepushed. Within the shed there is a heating duct that emits hot airover the top of the poles. Baffles prevent the heat from passing underthe cars, and other baffles prevent the hot air from passing upwardlybetween the cars. Movable side baffles prevent the hot air from passingthrough the space between adjacent cars loaded with poles and theydirect the hot air lengthwise of the poles and in contact therewith toeffect drying of such poles. One or more fans provide circulation of thehot air in the shed.

For a further understanding of the invention and for features andadvantages thereof, reference may be made to the following descriptionand the drawings which illustratea preferred embodiment of equipment inaccordance with the invention which is suitable for practicing themethod of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

.FIG. 1 is a view along line I-I of FIG. 3;

FIG. 2 is a view along line II-II of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a pole kiln in accordance with thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 3, a pole kiln 11 inaccordance with the present invention comprises an clongate sheet metalshed 13 having a conventional side frame structure 15, with aluminumsandwiched insulated panels 17, and ordinary structural truss frames 18,over which there is a roof 19 of conventional type and construction. Theshed 13 covers, and is secured typically to, a foundation 21 of concreteset on the ground 23. A conventional track comprising railroad rails 25is fixed to the foundation 21. The ends of the shed 13 are closed bypairs of hinged doors 27, 29 in a conventional manner.

In FIG. 3, one of a plurality of conventional carrier vehicles, such asa gondola or flat railroad car 31, is shown within the shed 13. FromFIG. 1, it is seen that the shed 13 can accommodate a plurality of suchcars 31 at one time on the rails 25. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, each car31 carries a load of peeled poles 33 that are to be dried in the kiln11.

Within the shed 13 there are two vertical parallel walls 35, 37 disposedlengthwise of the shed 13, and they are spaced apart from the side walls17 of the shed 13, about as and where shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. Theseabutting relation, that are pivotable into and out of en gagement withthe sides of the car 31, as shown in FIG. 3.

Above the top of each load of poles 33, there is a heating duct 43 thatis generally rectangular in crosssection. The particular heating ductshown in FIG. 3 has corrugated top and bottom asbestos-cement surfacesand vertical flat side walls, through other types of heating ducts maybe used if preferred. The heating duct 43 is supported in position bybeing secured in a suitable manner to the bottom chord 45 of the rooftruss structure 18.

Above the heating duct 43 there is alongitudinally extending verticalfan wall 47 connected to the heating duct 43 andto a T-bar 49, or othersuitable structure, at the ridge of the roof truss 18.

The heating duct 43 has a plurality of openings 51 in the vertical sidewalls to allow heat to enter the shed 13. The ends of the duct 43 areclosed appropriately and there is, in the center of the duct 43, atransverse divider baffle wall 52 that subdivides the duct 43 into twoportions.

Two transition heating ducts 53, 55 connect to the heating duct 43, andto conduits 57, 59 extending out side the shed 13. The conduits 57, 59carry heated air into the heating duct 43 from fan and heater units 61,63, located near ground level 23 outside the shed 13, by means ofsuitable conduit 65, 67.

Two elongate baffle plates 69, 71, that may be articu lated and arrangedin end to end abutting relation, are hingedly connected as at 73, to thebottom surface of the heating duct 43. The free edges of the baffles 69,71 carry an eye 77, 79 that is an anchor for ropes or chains 81, 83passing over a pulley 85, 87 fixed to the roof structure, the free endsof the ropes or chains 81, 83 terminate at the shed side, as shown inFIG. 3.

The fan wall 47 carries a plurality of electric motor The bottom chord45 of .the roof truss structure 18 carries, at two locations shown inFIG. 3, elongate rods 89, 91 that serve as supports for sliding verticalwall baffles 93, 95. Each such wall baffle 93 and 95 has hooks that slipover the rods 89, 91 so that the baffles can be moved lengthwise alongthe rods for a purpose that will be described hereinafter. Each slidingwall baf- He 93, 95 extends downward from the rods 89, 91 to a locationjust below the top edge of the hinged baffle plates 39, 41, as shown inFIG. 3.

The sliding wall baffles 93, 95 are disposed on opposite sides of therailraod cars 31, and each baffle is somewhat longer than the distancebetween adjacent connected-together carrier railroad cars. The slidingwall baffles 93, 95 are staggered in arrangement on the opposite sidesof the railroad cars 31, as shown in FIG. 1; baffles 93 being on oneside of the cars 31 and baffles 95 being on the other side of the cars.

While not shown in the drawings, suitable humidity detecting equipmentwould be provided normally in the shed 13. Also, suitable humiditycontrol equipment would be associated with such control equipment andthe burner fan units 61, 63, as well as with the fans 89.

The novel structure described herein is used in the following manner incarrying into practice the method of the present invention.

After opening the doors 27 or 29 at one end of the shed 13, a string ofrailroad cars 31, each loaded with poles 33,-are moved by locomotive orother apparatus on the rails 25. into the shed 13. The cars aredisconnected from the locomotive, and then the doors are closed. The'hinged baffle plates 39, 41 and the baffles 69, 71, are disposed in aconvenient stowed position as the cars are moved into the shed. Afterthe cars are spotted in the shed, the pivotable baffles 69, 71 and 39,41 are then moved into the positions shown in FIG. 3.

The sliding wall baffles 93, 95 are maneuvered by hand to avoid contactwith the cars as they move into the shed, but thereafter, the hingedbaffles 39, 41 are pivoted into the positions shown in FIG. 3, coveringthe spaces between adjacent cars on alternate sides. The sliding wallbaffles 93, 95, being movable lengthwise along the rods 89, 91, can bereadily positioned to cover the space between adjacent railroad cars, inthe staggered arrangement shown in FIG. 1. The baffles 93, 95 are madeto be positionable along the rods 89, 91 since the position of therailroad cars cannot be certain each time they are spotted in the shed13.

In order to protect the conventional brake cylinder mechanism '97 ofeach railroad car, a brake cooling shroud 99 of suitable construction isplaced around each brake cylinder mechanism 97, as shown in FIG. 3. Aflexible hose 101 is connected at one end to the shroud 99 and at theother end to a fan 103 located outside the shed 13, about as suggestedin FIG. 3. Thus, cool air is forced into the shroud 99 to effect coolingthe brake cylinder mechanism.

The shroud 99 carries a suitable, conventional temperature detectingdevice 105 having an electrical wire 107 that is connected to atemperature recorder (not shown) conveniently located at a remotecontrol station.

With burner and fan units 61, 63 activated, hot air passes throughconduits 65, 67 into the conduits 57, 59 and theninto the heating duct43. The heat emerges from the duct 43 through the several openings 51 inthe side walls thereof. The several fans 89 are actuated and the hot airemerging from the duct 43 circulates in the direction of the arrows A inFIG. 3.

The baffles 69,71 prevent the hot air from passing downward to the poles33 directly, and the hot air is also prevented from passing under therailroad cars through the space betweeen the sides of the cars and thewalls 35 and 37 by the pivotable baffles 39, 41. Instead, the hot airenters the spaces between adjacent cars, flowing in the direction of thearrows B, as shown in FIG. 1. Because of the location of the baffles 93,95, the hot air flowing in the direction of arrows B cannot escape tothe other side of the shed, but it flows longitudinally through the carsand lengthwise of and around the poles therein. The hot air then emergesfrom the cars, and because of the presence of the baffles 95, flows intothe space on the other side of the shed, in the direction of arrows C.Thereafter, the air flows upwardly andpasses through the fans 89.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that due to the t flow of'aircaused by the rotation of the fans 89, there is a slight positiveair pressure on the right hand side of the shed, as viewed in FIG. 3,and there is a slight negative air pressure on the, left hand side.

When and as needed, a plurality of roof ventilators 109, located asshown in the roof structure, may be opened or adjusted as desired tocontrol humidity within the kiln.

' Suitable heat detecting equipment anda temperature alarm system may beused if desired inside the shed to prevent overheating of the railroadcars and other equipment so that damage to such cars and equipment isavoided.

As soon as the poles are dried sufficiently, the fans may be shut off;the baffles raised and/or moved to their stowed positions; the brakecooling shrouds removed; the doors of the shed opened, and the carsmoved thence. Thereafter, other cars similarly loaded with poles arepushed into the kiln and the process is repeated.

From the foregoing description of one embodiment of the invention, thoseskilled in the art should recognize many important features andadvantages of it, among which the following are particularlysignificant:

That conventional trams onto which green poles are usually loaded foruse in an ordinary kiln are eliminated since, in accordance with myinvention, conventional railroad cars that carry the poles to the kilnfacility are the drying cars;

That there is a significant saving in time, labor and equipment incarrying into practice the method of the present invention, since thereis no loading of drying trams and no lifting equipment is required tohandle the poles at the kiln facility.

Although the invention has been described herein with a certain degreeof particularlity, it is understood that the present disclosure has beenmade only as an example and that the scope of the invention is definedby what is hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

I. A drying kiln comprising:

a. a shed covering one or more carriers of articles to be dried;

b. end closures on said shed;

c. means for introducing heat into said shed at a location above saidarticles;

(I. baffles that coact with said oneor more carriers and prevent saidheat from flowing beneath said carriers; and

e. means for circulating said heat within said shed.

2. The invention of claim 1 including:

a. baffles above said one or more carriers that prevent heat frompassing upwardly from said articles therein.

3. The invention of claim 1 including:

a. baffles disposed alternately on opposite sides of said carrierswhereby said heat cannot pass through the space between adjacentcarriers.

4. A drying kiln comprising:

a. a shed covering one or more railroad cars fitted with brakingequipment;

b. end closures on said shed;

c. means for introducing and circulating heat within said shed;

d. baffles that coact with said one or more cars and that prevent saidheat from flowing beneath said cars;

e. baffles above said one or more cars that prevent said heat frompassing upwardly from said cars;

f. baffles disposed alternately on opposite sides of said cars so thatheat cannot pass through the space between adjacent cars;

g. means applicable to said braking equipment for cooling such equipmentand preventing said heat from contacting the same; and

h. means for detecting overheating of said braking equipment.

5. The invention of claim 1 including:

a. means for pivoting said baffles.

6. The invention of claim 2 including:

a. means for pivoting said baffles.

7. The invention of claim 3 including:

a. means for adjusting said baffles; and

b. means for pivoting said baffles.

-8. The invention of claim 1 wherein:

a. said means for introducing heat includes a burner and a fan.

' 9. A drying kiln comprising:

a. a shed having pivotable enclosures covering one or more carriers ofarticles to be dried;

b. a burner and a fan in conduit means carrying heated air to a heatingduct in said shed above said one or more carriers, said duct havingopenings through which heat flows into said shed;

c. pivotable baffles above said one or more carriers that prevent heatfrom passing upwardly therefrom;

d. pivotable baffles that coa'ct with the sides of said one or morecarriers and prevent heat from passing therebeneath;

e. pivotable'and adjustable baffles disposed alternately on oppositesides of one or more carriers whereby heat cannot pass through the spaceat the ends of one carrier or between adjacent carriers and is directedlengthwise thereof; and

f. one or more fans within said shed that circulate said heattherewithin.

10. The invention of claim 9 wherein:

a. said one or more carriers is or are railroad cars having brakingmechanism; and including b. means applicable to said braking equipmentfor cooling and preventing heat from contacting the same; and

c. means for detecting over heating of said braking equipment.

11. The invention of claim 9 wherein:

a. said baffles are sectionalized.

12. The method of kiln drying green poles comprising the steps:

a. moving one or more railroad cars carrying said poles through accessopenings into an enclosure;

b. closing the access openings of said enclosure;

0. flowing heated air into said enclosure over said one or more cars;

d. directing said heated air into the space at the end of one or intothe space between adjacent cars and thence lengthwise of one or bothcars and lengthwise of said poles;

e. preventing the heated air from flowing under said one or more cars;and

f. circulating said air within said enclosure.-

13. The invention of claim 12 including the step of:

a. maintaining the flow of heated air lengthwise of said poles in eachone of said railroad cars.

14. The invention of claim 12 including the step of:

a. cooling a braking mechanism of said one or more railroad cars.

15. The method of claim 12 including the steps of:

a. arranging baffles that prevent said heated air from flowing undersaid one or more cars;

b. arranging baffles that prevent said heated air from flowing upwardlyfrom said poles; and

c. arranging baffles that guide said heated air lengthwise of one suchrailroad car and that prevent said heated air from passing through thespace between adjacent railroad cars without having first passedlongitudinally of said adjacent cars.

16. The invention of claim 4 including:

a. means for adjusting and b. means for pivoting said baffles that aredisposed alternately.

1. A drying kiln comprising: a. a shed covering one or more carriers ofarticles to be dried; b. end closures on said shed; c. means forintroducing heat into said shed at a location above said articles; d.baffles that coact with said one or more carriers and prevent said heatfrom flowing beneath said carriers; and e. means for circulating saidheat within said shed.
 2. The invention of claim 1 including: a. bafflesabove said one or more carriers that prevent heat from passing upwardlyfrom said articles therein.
 3. The invention of claim 1 including: a.baffles disposed alternately on opposite sides of said carriers wherebysaid heat cannot pass through the space between adjacent carriers.
 4. Adrying kiln comprising: a. a shed covering one or more railroad carsfitted with braking equipment; b. end closures on said shed; c. meansfor introducing and circulating heat within said shed; d. baffles thatcoact with said one or more cars and that prevent said heat from flowingbeneath said cars; e. baffles above said one or more cars that preventsaid heat from passing upwardly from said cars; f. baffles disposedalternately on opposite sides of said cars so that heat cannot passthrough the space between adjacent cars; g. means applicable to saidbraking equipment for cooling such equipment and preventing said heatfrom contacting the same; and h. means for detecting overheating of saidbraking equipment.
 5. The invention of claim 1 including: a. means forpivoting said baffles.
 6. The invention of claim 2 including: a. meansfor pivoting said baffles.
 7. The invention of claim 3 including: a.means for adjusting said baffles; and b. means for pivoting saidbaffles.
 8. The invention of claim 1 wherein: a. said means forintroducing heat includes a burner and a fan.
 9. A drying kilncomprising: a. a shed having pivotable enclosures covering one or morecarriers of articles to be dried; b. a burner and a fan in conduit meanscarrying heated air to a heating duct in said shed above said one ormore carriers, said duct having openings through which heat flows intosaid shed; c. pivotable baffles above said one or more carriers thatprevent heat from passing upwardly therefrom; d. pivotable baffles thatcoact with the sides of said one or more carriers and prevent heat frompassing therebeneath; e. pivotable and adjustable baffles disposedalternately on opposite sides of one or more carriers whereby heatcannot pass through the space at the ends of one carrier or betweenadjacent carriers and is directed lengthwise thereof; and f. one or morefans within said shed that circulate said heat therewithin.
 10. Theinvention of claim 9 wherein: a. said one or more carriers is or arerailroad cars having braking mechanism; and including b. meansapplicable to said braking equipment for cooling and preventing heatfrom contacting the same; and c. means for detecting over heating ofsaid braking equipment.
 11. The invention of claim 9 wherein: a. saidbaffles are sectionalized.
 12. The method of kiln drying green polescomprising the steps: a. moving one or more railroad cars carrying saidpoles through access openings into an enclosure; b. closing the accessopenings of said enclosure; c. flowing heated air into said enclosureover said one or more cars; d. directing said heated air into the spaceat the end of one or into the space between adjacent cars and thencelengthwise of one or both cars and lengthwise of said poles; e.preventing the heated air from flowing under said one or more cars; andf. circulating said air within said enclosure.
 13. The invention ofclaim 12 including the step of: a. maintaining the flow of heated airlengthwise of said poles in each one of said railroad cars.
 14. Theinvention of claim 12 including the step of: a. cooling a brakingmechanism of said one or more railroad cars.
 15. The method of claim 12including the steps of: a. arranging baffles that prevent said heatedair from flowing under said one or more cars; b. arranging baffles thatprevent said heated air from flowing upwardly from said poles; and c.arranging baffles that guide said heated air lengthwise of one suchrailroad car and that prevent said heated air from passing through thespace between adjacent railroad cars without having first passedlongitudinally of said adjacent cars.
 16. The invention of claim 4including: a. means for adjusting and b. means for pivoting said bafflesthat are disposed alternately.